Before you start

Unlocked handset
Passport or ID, in practice at most retailers
Estonian ID-code and bank account, for postpaid contracts

Step-by-step

1
Use EU roaming as a bridge
Arriving from another EU country, your existing SIM works at domestic rates under roam-like-at-home. There is no reason to buy at the airport.
In personWho: You
2
Buy a prepaid SIM
Available from Telia, Elisa and Tele2 shops in the malls, and from Circle K, Coop, Rimi and Omniva post offices. Expect to show ID even though no national registration law requires it.
In personWho: You
3
Decide whether you want Mobiil-ID
Mobiil-ID is a nationally recognised digital identity that works without a card reader, but it needs a special SIM issued by your operator. Ask for it explicitly — a standard prepaid SIM will not do.
In personWho: You
4
Or use Smart-ID instead
Smart-ID is app-based, works on any SIM, and covers banks and most large e-services. For most newcomers it is the simpler route to the same outcome.
Mobile appWho: You
5
Move to postpaid for a handset deal
Contracts require an Estonian personal identification code and a local bank account for direct debit.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport or ID card
Estonian personal identification code and bank account, for postpaid

Things most newcomers don’t know

Mobiil-ID needs a special SIM — ask for it at purchase.

Unlike Smart-ID, Mobiil-ID puts your certificates on the SIM itself, so it cannot be added to an ordinary prepaid card later without swapping the SIM. If you want Mobiil-ID, say so at the counter and save yourself a second trip.

Source: ID.ee — Mobile-ID

Smart-ID is the lower-friction path to the same doors.

It's app-based, needs no card reader and no special SIM, and logs you into banks and most large e-services. Unless you specifically need Mobiil-ID, Smart-ID gets a newcomer into the e-state faster.

Source: ID.ee — Smart-ID

There's no national prepaid registration law, but expect to be asked anyway.

Estonia is one of the few EU countries without a mandatory prepaid SIM registration regime. Retailers and operators still commonly ask for a passport or ID as their own policy, so bring one rather than counting on the absence of a law.

Source: Comparative SIM-registration surveys; no statutory requirement identified in Estonian law

Roaming removes any day-one pressure entirely.

Your existing EU SIM works here at home rates, so you can compare Telia, Elisa and Tele2 after you've got an address and an ID-code — which is also when postpaid becomes available to you.

Source: EU roam-like-at-home rules